Dr. G. Venkataswamy Oration Award – 2025
Aravind-Madurai, 30th September 2025
The Dr. G. Venkataswamy Oration is organised annually to celebrate the legacy of Dr. G. Venkataswamy, honouring individuals who have made significant contributions toward eliminating needless blindness in communities.
This year, the Oration Award was conferred on Dr. Leon B. Ellwein, a public health professional recognising his contributions to epidemiology and operations research in vision health. Dr. Ellwein has held leadership roles at the National Eye Institute (NEI) as Associate Director for Applications of Vision Research, and served as Professor and Associate Dean at the University of Nebraska Medical Centre. Dr. Ellwein delivered the Dr. G. Venkataswamy Memorial Oration on the topic “Research to Give Sight for All”.
Dr. R. Ravindran recalled the contributions of Dr. G. Venkataswamy to the world of eye care. Thulsiraj Ravilla, Advisor, Director-Operations, AECS, and Dhivya Ramasamy, Executive Director, LAICO, introduced Dr. Ellwein. The award was presented by Dr. R. Kim, President, GOVEL Trust, in the presence of Dr. G. Natchiar.
Dr. Ellwein’s collaboration with Aravind began in the early 1980s with community-based research aimed at improving cataract care delivery. He later played a pivotal role in the landmark Madurai Intraocular Lens Study (MIOLS). These initiatives helped build Aravind’s capacity for population-based studies and facilitated international collaborations that continue to guide Aravind’s research.
